BBC unions last night declared war on the Conservatives with an
extraordinary threat to black out coverage of David Cameron’s keynote
speech to the Tory party conference.

They unveiled a series of damaging strikes which will also disrupt
its reporting of Chancellor George Osborne’s spending review next month.

The two 48-hour walkouts, in protest at plans to overhaul the
corporation’s gold-plated pensions, have been deliberately timed to
wipe out coverage of the two most high-profile events in this autumn’s
political calendar.

Unions are expecting ‘well in excess’ of 10,000 BBC workers to support the action.

It is thought the corporation would still be able to put together coverage of the events, but that it would be ‘lightweight’.

Furious
Conservatives said the threat was final proof of the inherent Left-wing
bias of BBC staff. A Tory source said: ‘These dates make the
strike political.’

Philip Davies, a Conservative member of the
Culture Select Committee, said: ‘Mark Thompson (the BBC Director
General) was saying recently that the BBC had a Left-wing bias in
Margaret Thatcher’s time, but that has since been ironed out. He might
now want to think again.

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‘It’s entirely predictable of course and demonstrates the inherent Left-wing bias that still exists.

‘What
it shows is that their bias is more important to them than broadcasting
events that are of interest to the public. They don’t want to get the
Conservative message across because it doesn’t fit in with their
agenda.’

Tory backbencher Nadine Dorries said: ‘These are cynical
and politically motivated strikes which prove the BBC unions have
declared war on the Government.’

Walk out: Fiona Bruce and Jeremy Paxman were among many high profile news presenters who took part in the BBC strikes in 2005

BBC TRUST CHAIRMAN TO STEP DOWN

BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons is to step down from his post, he announced today.

He has written to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to explain that he will serve for only one term and will not seek reappointment next May.

Sir Michael said the growing workload for the part-time role had made him anxious, 'crowding out' other demands on his time.Sir Michael's decision to leave comes against a background of uncertainty about the future of the Trust under the coalition Government.

Prior to the General Election, there had been speculation that the Conservatives would move to scrap the body and, as shadow culture spokesman, Mr Hunt had said he had 'serious reservations' about the BBC Trust.

Under Sir Michael's watch, the Trust has been involved involved in a number of high-profile issues.

Most recently the body launched a consultation into BBC Director- General Mark Thompson's strategic review.The Trust effectively put the brakes on proposals to close the digital station 6 Music.

It was also closely involved with the aftermath of the 'Sachsgate' furore, involving Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross.

The first walkout is planned for
October 5 and 6, during the Tory conference.

David Cameron usually makes
his keynote speech on the Wednesday - which this year is October 6.

Journalists, technicians and other broadcast staff will stage another strike on October 19 and 20, the second day of which coincides with the Government’s long-awaited spending review. The effect on coverage could be dramatic.

During BBC strikes in 2005, big-name news presenters Jeremy Paxman, Natasha Kaplinsky and Fiona Bruce were among those who stayed away.

Last month, Mr Thompson admitted the corporation had in the past been guilty of ‘massive’ Left-wing bias but insisted it was now a ‘broader church’.

The industrial action was announced by technicians’ union Bectu, the National Union of Journalists and Unite.

They said they would consult members before meeting on October 1 to finalise the industrial action.

The strike threat comes after the BBC announced in June plans to
drastically change its generous pension schemes. The corporation says it
needs to take action because, since 2008, its pension deficit has
ballooned from £470million to around £2billion.

In an email to members, Mr Thompson described reform as ‘inevitable’.

He said: ‘We have a large current deficit in our scheme and face long-term pressures

which, without action now, would undermine the scheme and compromise the broader finances of the BBC.’

Under the corporation’s proposals, its defined benefit pension scheme
will close to all workers joining the BBC from December 1.

Although
existing staff can remain in the scheme, the value of their pensions
will collapse because from April next year, the increase in their
pensionable pay will be capped at 1 per cent.

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On Monday, the BBC tried to avert strike action by offering to set up a new ‘career average’ scheme – but employees would have to work to 65 rather than 60 and would have to pay in a greater proportion of their salary.

Members of the NUJ and Bectu described the changes as ‘punitive’ and voted to strike by more than nine to one.

Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary, said: ‘The BBC’s continued insistence that staff pay much more for significantly worse benefits is unacceptable.

‘If the BBC fails to listen to the continued nger of staff at these unacceptable pensions changes, we will be left with no choice but to strike to stop the pensionsrobbery.’

The consultation on the pension changes had been due to finish this month, but the BBC has now extended it until the middle of November.